Green pricklenape

The tail is longer than the body!

The green pricklenape lives in rainforests in parts of Vietnam and Cambodia. It is a lizard with a very long tail – often the tail is more than half the body length of the green pricklenape! Most often, the green pricklenape lives high up under the tree canopy so that it can seek shelter from the sun. The lizard primarily eats insects, and can sit completely still for a long time, waiting for an insect to pass by. 

The green pricklenape is considered to be near endangered according to the International Red List (IUCN). This is because the environment in which the lizard lives has shrunk, and threatens to decline even more due to deforestation for crops and the construction of roads and cities. 

Called a horned dragon 

Along the neck and back, the green pricklenape has a long row of spines! This means that the species is sometimes called “horned dragon” in English; the spiny appearance is reminiscent of the dragons of fairy tales. The species can have many different colours, and can also change colour depending on mood – such as stress or the desire to mate. Under the chin, green pricklenape have a colourful flap of skin, which the males in particular unfold to show dominance or to attract a female. A female lays between 10-30 eggs after mating.